


The Assassin's Heart

by LinaLuthor



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Byleth is still a mercenary, F/F, Female My Unit | Byleth, Fluff and Smut, I'm Bad At Tagging, Jeralt was faster than Alois, Lesbian Sex, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Scars, Vaginal Fingering, soulmates (maybe?)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:15:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23762158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LinaLuthor/pseuds/LinaLuthor
Summary: Byleth had never worked as an assassin before, but when a seemingly wealthy man she rescued from the remnants of war offers her an absurd amount of money to kill someone, she accepted anyways. How hard would it be to hit one target when she was used to ending entire armies?However, she never expected to run into a somewhat familiar face from her past - the one clear memory she had in between too many grey moments.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 2
Kudos: 142





	The Assassin's Heart

Byleth had accepted the job without even asking for specifics. But then, few would, as the offered rewards were too good to be dismissed. Enough gold to make sure one did not have to either worry about living in poverty – or never indulging – for the rest of their existence. There was probably enough in there for children and grandchildren to be comfortable with money as well, but since the mercenary had never given much thought to family, that was no concern of hers.

The person that had hired her also assured that fame and glory would be some of the things she could expect from completing her assignment. She cared for neither, as money had been good enough to convince her she would do what had been asked. Although she wouldn’t consider herself poor, it had been harder and harder for her to make a living as a mercenary after Jeralt had been killed - even more so as few required a mercenary’s services in the midst of a chaotic war.

But then, perhaps she would have been faring better had she remained outside of Fódlan for a while longer, at least until the conflict subsided. However, a few months ago she had felt called to the continent for some unseen, unknown reason and after too much pondering she decided to follow her instincts.

As she prowled through a sleeping Enbarr, she was surprised to realize there was no regret at her decision to return. Intuition said she had yet to find the purpose that had led her to coming back after almost six years, thus pondering over the current state of affairs was not only useless, but a waste of energy. Precious energy she would need to complete her mission. Nevertheless, she let her mind wander about the circumstances that had led her there.

A week ago she had been ambling close to a torn Remire village, where once she had protected three young students from the claws of bandits looking for their gold and their lives. It was eerie how memory had taken her there, yet she could barely recall how they looked like or what their names were. After that small fight had been over, her father had whisked her away before the pupils could even thank them. A few days later they had been in Almyra, where they would remain for half a decade or so.

Byleth had rarely given the students some thought, until her father’s life was claimed during a skirmish against Nader’s forces in a quest to pacify the land. Realizing she would probably be a target since their mercenary band had opposed the Unbeatable, she fled to Fódlan right after burying Jeralt and began her own quest to survive in that desolate territory.

Those had been the thoughts and memories plaguing her mind, as her most recent job had been rather boring and with meager payment, when she ambled through Remire and almost failed to notice the young man who was lying on the floor. He grunted once her feet came into contact with his torso and she flinched away from him, one hand on her dagger.

That ragged man wore an eye patch, had lost the use of his legs in a conflict with Imperial troops and had been mistaken for dead. Also, he turned out to be none other than King Dimitri of Faerghus, or the Mad King as others used to call him. A few minutes of idle conversation later, he also became her latest client, the one who had offered her riches and glory, though she had been skeptical of the latter until she heard who her target was.

That crazed man, who could no longer hold a lance or walk, had hired her to take the Emperor’s life.

Byleth had never worked as an assassin before, yet she had killed plenty during her time in Almyra and figured that it wouldn’t be too different from what she was used to doing. Instead of having armies to subdue or castles to pillage, all she had to do was hit that one target until they stopped breathing. How hard could that be?

She had accepted the offer in an instant, then helped the man back to his own territory while avoiding hostile forces that would love to actually kill the Mad King. Once he had been put into safety at his loyal retainer’s hand, she set out to do what had been asked of her.

The mercenary had no idea who this Emperor was or even why Fódlan was at war to begin with. Very little information on that matter had reached them in Almyra and her father hadn’t been one to keep up with gossip while at the bar (though he had frequented those places very often and usually returned home without memory of her name). Slightly curious, she went to several bars on her way to Enbarr and listened to the conversations around while sipping at water or tea.

Some said the Emperor was the devil incarnate and wanted to plunge the continent into unholy, brutal massacres to satisfy her own thirst for blood. Others countered by saying she had the right of that and the Church had gone too far in its indoctrination of the people. None agreed and small fights often broken loose whenever the war and its motivations were mentioned.

Regardless, she had heard enough to understand her target was a powerful woman who hadn’t sat idly on a throne while armies fought her conflict, but had and still was taking an active participation in it. Also, she currently resided in the fabled, heavily guarded capital, deep within the Enbarr Palace as the latest battle against the Kingdom had been won with too many casualties and she needed to regroup to form a proper invasion of Fhirdiad.

It was with that information in mind, plus a few sketches of the inside of Enbarr Palace, that the mercenary went on her march to Enbarr, on foot since she hadn’t wanted to draw unnecessary attention from Imperial spies. The walk there had been completely uneventful and she marveled at how easy it had been for her to climb the stony Capital walls, then land gracefully on the other side while guards who were supposed to keep the peace at nighttime snored soundly.

She looked at their spears and had half a mind to steal them for herself, as they were made of the purest silver and would sell for some money, but decided that could probably backfire if she weren’t too careful. Besides, she wouldn’t even need the extra cash once she reported back to Dimitri and earned her rewards. Shaking her head, she walked on through the deserted city streets, glad no one was there to lay eyes upon her. It was a miracle that the place hadn’t been invaded earlier, given how slack security apparently was.

Thus Byleth simply paraded through it until the Palace came into view. Then, and only then, did she hide in between foliage, her steps careful, precise and silent as a cat stalking its prey. Night had recently fallen, so she would have enough time to do what she had to regardless of how slow her progress through those trees was. As long as she delivered Emperor Edelgard von Hresvelg’s head to the Mad King, her loot would be there, no matter how many days it took for her to accomplish that.

Her mind remained focused while she pressed on, her heart as always stable and at ease no matter what the situation was. She was always the one to stay calm whenever others fretted, be that at missions or during what were called anxiety-inducing events. She didn’t know if ‘calm’ was the right definition, however, since what really happened was that no feeling ever came to her. She was as neutral about having to kill the Emperor than she had been in the morning about getting up and drinking a cup of tea – such had been the way her life went by, most moments enveloped in a grey haze and barely discernible from the next.

The one time she could recall something stirring inside of her, a feeling to which she had no name, was when she had met and fought with those kids back in Remire. She had felt completely unlike herself in that battle, as her heart had actually beat a bit too fast and loud within her chest and she had almost smiled while swinging her sword and protecting the younger ones. She still remembered how she had seen red once the bandits’ leader had tried killing that girl, the pretty one with lilac eyes, and the way Byleth had protected her, reacting out of… out of what, exactly?

To that day, so many years later, she could not completely fathom what had happened to her in that night, much less in that specific moment. It was no used dwelling in such thoughts, though, as she had never seen nor heard of those people for too long. Surely they had graduated from school and gone back to their own little corners of the world, right?

And what was that to her, really? She was a mercenary and for that specific night, an assassin. It was time to focus and let reminiscences quietly sit back in the corner of her mind that they had come from.

It was exactly what she tried doing once she got closer to the Palace walls, again made of the same material of the ones she had previously climbed to reach the city interior. She wasn’t in front of the castle gates, as that was too obvious and would probably have some guards stationed here and there even though the place was completely silent, but on its side.

Looking up she could see a few windows, mostly darkened since the room occupants were more than likely asleep, yet one in particular still let some candlelight spill into the otherwise blackened night. She kept staring at it and felt some curiosity – no, a pull of sorts – almost urging her to go there. Since her instincts had almost a physical nature, she simply shrugged and started climbing, hoping she would find footholds with as much ease as before.

Those walls were taller and the slightest bit smoother, which meant it took Byleth some tries and falls until she eventually reached the top. She took a cursory glance underneath her and realized she had reached some sort of backyard, deserted due to how late it was. However, she judged the distance a bit too high for her to simply let herself fall and instead started climbing down as slowly and silently as she could, all the while wondering if these Imperial people weren’t afraid of being invaded at all.

When she had enough of that gradual descent she let go and landed in a crouch, the resulting impact going from her feet to the top of her head in a second. She took one second to glance up at that still alight window and moved again, unsure exactly of how she would find the Emperor now that she was inside the palace. Sure, she had seen the sketches but these had been left behind with the ones who had done them. So although she had a faint mental image, it wasn’t enough to safely guide her in.

Surely her chambers would be vast and lavish. Perhaps that would be a way to tell that she had gotten the right target. She had seen several painted and drawn portraits of her, of the golden crown that adorned her immaculate silver hair and the deep crimson that marked her dresses, but one always had to take such works with a grain of salt.

There was no way her crown actually had horns or that she was really that beautiful, right? A woman with her reputation was prone to have some battle scars in her face from a stray sword, at the very least. The drawings she had seen painted what perfection must look like in Byleth’s eyes – for a moment she had almost asked the artist if she had actually seen a woman like that and if so, where she was.

With those thoughts the mercenary opened a dark wooden door as quietly as she could and slithered inside the palace, wondering where she should go next. That window she had spotted was two or three floors over her and a little bit to the right. Perhaps she could start with that and coerce whoever servant she found into leading her to the infamous Emperor herself. It wasn’t that nice of a plan but unfortunately it was the only one she had. If she ever ran into guards, she could have some fun diverting them as well, couldn’t she?

Although it would be better to stick to her one mark, which already made her job easier, it would be no hassle if she ran into trouble and had to off some more people on her way to the Emperor. What were the chances that she was unprotected to begin with?

She paced rather calmly through the ample hallways, passing through rows and rows of closed doors. Since that was the ground floor, she knew those rooms mostly belonged to servants and didn’t even bother with them. She easily found the stairs, as the palace interior design was all straight, sensible lines, just like Enbarr had been.

How much should she climb, though? Funny enough her feet apparently knew where to go, as they guided her upstairs when her mind fell into a haze. After a few steps she stopped and turned right, then went through the floor with an urgency that was new to her altogether.

She had a moment to notice that the doors in that section of the palace were bigger, more regal-like, and the space in between them was also wider than before – a good indication she was in the right place to begin with. Although it was as quiet as the rest of the castle, the mercenary could sense something different in the air, a soft murmur of sorts, a hum which alerted her to activity.

Following that intuition, she ended up in front of what would be another non-descript door if it weren’t for the fact that some light was spilling from underneath it. There was no mistaking that was the room she had spotted earlier, not only due to the candle but its location as well. Would she have to pry it open, though?

Her right hand touched the cold, spherical handle and she slowly twisted it, a second later widening her eyes in surprise at finding it unlocked. Her hopes of that being someone important dwindled, since there was no way the Emperor would be so unguarded.

Nevertheless, she kept working in the handle with as much patience as she could muster, careful to not make any sound or alarm its occupant – if that was even possible. Soon it gave under her palm and the door started swinging open in response to the smallest pressure she could apply. No sound came from the other side, nothing that could tell her she had been spotted, which motivated her to keep going.

A few seconds later she had a clear image by peeking through the door and finally understood why her presence had yet to be acknowledged.

The light illuminated a regal, yet scantly decorated bedroom with an enormous mattress covered in thick white covers, a red chest and a table, which was right in front of the window. That was also where the candle was located and most of its light fell upon a woman who was sitting there, muttering to herself and going through some paperwork in incredible speed.

Glistening silver hair fell down her back all the way to her waist in straight, silky-looking strands. She wore a long crimson dress and the few times her hands became visible for a split second, Byleth swore she sported gloves of the same color. There was something about her that screamed ‘royal’ to the mercenary – and seemed to call to her in some unfamiliar way as well.

Could it be that this was really her target? It was hard to say since she could see too little of her to make sure that was the case, yet somehow she knew it would be better to try and coax this girl to show her the way, than to miss this opportunity and actually have to wait another day to find out. Plus, she would rather be done with the whole deal and have her reward as soon as possible anyways, she was eager to step outside of Fódlan and go to more peaceful lands with her newly acquired fortune.

That was why she carefully stepped inside the room and closed the door without making a sound, an easy task after years of pillaging castles without actually making herself known to guard. Her eyes were on her prey, hand slowly drawing a dagger from her belt. She stealthily advanced and got into hearing range of what the woman was muttering:

“… I do wish those petty lords would simply solve their disputes for lands in between themselves, instead of coming to me for them. As if it weren’t time consuming enough to handle weaponry, taxes and other aspects of this war.” She sighed, the sound soft and gentle in contrast to the harsher tone with which she was mumbling while signing papers. “And here again, another old fight for Hrym territory.” Her hands flew through lines, guiding her as she leaned in closer to the paper for better view.

That was almost the confirmation the mercenary needed, though she reasoned it was the only one she would probably get. Not that it actually mattered – surely Dimitri wouldn’t mind if another Imperial Officer or Minister was put down in her search for the Emperor, in case she had mistaken that girl for her mark. Thus she finished unsheathing her dagger and closed the distance in between them, adrenaline for once running through her veins and…

Why was her heart thudding so loudly within her chest? That was a novelty that made her stop in her tracks, while she wondered if the other woman had heard it as well. No, that wasn’t the time for her to become like everyone else and succumb to anxiety or whatever it was that had made her body respond with a full shudder. She tightened her grip on the dagger and took the last necessary steps, then coiled her muscles in preparation.

Before she could lunge at the woman’s throat, a swift movement broke her concentration. That unknown girl twisted around, a dagger of her own in hands, and shot to her feet while slashing at Byleth. The motion was clean, practiced even, yet that wasn’t the fact that made the mercenary stop in surprise and almost get hit by the next attack.

The eyes that bore into her, furrowed in anger and defiance, were of an irresistible lilac shade that rendered her speechless. She was pulled into them even as her body danced away, craving some distance in between the two women in order to avoid getting stabbed. Her face was pale, almost alabaster in color and of a beauty that made the mercenary understand why those artists that had drawn her said the portraits would never do her justice.

“Who are you? Or rather, who hired you?” The smaller woman inquired, her voice laden with anger as she tried rushing at Byleth yet again and almost succeeded in landing a blow.

The mercenary shook her head, danced away and tried aiming a slash at her open guard, but found herself unable to hurt her. Where had she seen those eyes before and why did they speak to her in a language she had never heard, yet seemed to understand?

“Are you here to kill me or not?” The Emperor taunted, swinging to ther just as Byleth jumped left.

Still mesmerized, Byleth saw a chance and took it by dashing around the other and grabbing both the wrist that held the dagger and her waist. She applied enough pressure for the weapon to fall to the ground with a clatter, then lifted her chin and let her own cold blade hover over her now exposed neck.

It was indeed over. Easiest job of her life and now that sweet gold would be hers. All the mercenary had to do was actually seal the deal and take away the Emperor’s life, just as promised.

Yet…

Too many seconds passed by, Edelgard struggling against that grip while her mind wondered why and how she was still alive. Byleth couldn’t bring herself to do it and it was growing harder and harder for her to make the necessary movement in each passing second. It was even worse when she tilted her head and glanced again at those lilac eyes, now wide in both surprise and fear.

Her heart stammered inside her chest in an almost painful way. She softened her hold on the younger woman and almost gently ushered them to a sitting position, where she shifted her prey around and placed her in her lap. The blade was taken away from her neck and put on the floor beside them; all the while Byleth couldn’t stop looking at that woman.

“What do you think you are doing, exactly?” Edelgard protested, too confused to feel any less afraid. She had sensed the assassin’s presence outside of her door even; no matter how incredibly silent she had been there was no mistaking the energy that seemed to surround the mercenary. An energy she thought vaguely familiar, from somewhere in her distant past, where war wasn’t even a reality.

“I know you.” Byleth spoke for the first time, her grip still firm but entirely more delicate than before. Her heart had gone back to pounding in incredible speed, a first for her, but she had a feeling it wasn’t behaving in that fashion for the simple fact she had been fighting a few seconds ago.

“I am the Emperor, so it would not be uncommon for you to do so.” The smaller woman jested, only because she wanted to deny her own feelings.

“Not like that, no.” Slowly, memories were pieced back together and she understood what was happening. “You are…”

“I… think I recognize you as well.” Edelgard spoke in a much softer tone as her own mind stirred with recollections of a mercenary, an interesting-looking woman who had saved her life once, though she couldn’t exactly remember where it had happened. A woman who she had spent years pondering over why she had disappeared after that conflict.

“You are that girl. The one in black and red, back in Remire Village.” The assassin whispered, overwhelmed not only by how sharp that memory had always assailed her senses, but for how much more she could feel in that moment alone. Why having her so close made the older woman so warm inside? She knew she had had the same impression before, whenever their bodies had brushed during that battle against the bandits.

That short, significant battle that had marked Byleth for life and made her question why every other combat, no matter how ‘heroic’ and hard, seemed to pale in comparison. Why everything else was grey and uneventful when that memory was so vibrant, full of life and color. Just like in that moment, with those two lavender irises threatening to take her over in some shape or form.

“You saved my life.” The smaller woman nodded, unconsciously relaxing into their physical contact and letting those indigo eyes speak to her. Why did she see so much indifference in them, but also some desperation at trying to make things have a meaning? “Is this retribution from back then? Are you here to kill me?” She inquired, though could only wonder if that would actually happen. She was feeling safe rather than in danger, no matter that the woman had attacked her just a few seconds ago.

“Edelgard, was it?” The mercenary inquired and was answered with a nod, their eyes never leaving each other. “I was hired to do so, yes.”

“And yet you falter. After that display of your skills in Remire, I would have thought you were a little… better than that.” The Emperor said in an amused tone. “I was not able to get a name back there.”

“I’m Byleth. Byleth Eisner.” The older woman replied, since that was easier to deal with than the small tendril of guilt which attacked her at that admission of her failure. “Somehow I can’t hurt you. Not after what happened.”

“Do not look at me and see that girl, Byleth. I am far from her, far from the one you met and saved. I have become the Emperor and started a war; whoever your client is, he must have more than enough reasons to wish me dead.” There was some ice in her eyes at that, some sadness and harshness as well. The mercenary could only muse at all she had gone through insofar, how many attempts on her life she had survived.

“You’re wrong. I see her still. The same girl who almost died by a bandit’s hand.” The older woman retorted, her voice calm in contrast to the piercing gaze she was receiving. In between all that chilliness she could indeed locate a smart, curious glance that wanted to unravel the world. The woman she became had not erased the young one’s dreams, no matter how many things had tried to harden her. “I… don’t care about that contract anymore, not now that I know who you are.”

Something warm and comforting was enveloping them both, an echo of what they had once felt all those years ago, when their eyes had met during battle and they had fought side by side. In that moment Byleth wondered what would have happened if Jeralt hadn’t pushed her away from the camp so violently, then whisked them to Almyra with no early notice. She was connected to the woman in her arms, she knew, just as she had known once she spotted that same girl back in the village.

“You cannot be so naïve.” The Emperor sneered, even though her cheeks were blushing with the intensity of that stare. She had never received attention such as that before, yet remembered how the same had happened when they met for the first time. “Are you trying to distract me from something else?”

“No distractions.” Byleth assured her while moving around so she could better position the smaller woman, bringing her closer still, their faces now mere inches away. “Just this.”

She leaned in slowly and claimed Edelgard’s lips, at first taken aback with her own action before intuition screamed at her that this was the right thing to do. A gentle hum reached her ears and she was about to pull away after that simple brush, when arms circled her back and she felt her kiss being reciprocated with equal softness.

They shared small, taunting pecks like that for a while, one going for a longer kiss whenever the other tried edging away. There were so many things left unsaid in between them, but it was as if that physical gesture was enough to express how they both felt that connection tugging at them, urging them closer and closer no matter what.

It was eerie, to say the least, and overwhelming to say the most. They were indeed strangers, yet there was no denying the sensation that something inside them knew and had been looking for the other. As if that link, which had been established even before they drew breath in this world, had always been urging them together and would do so no matter what happened in their lives.

Whereas Edelgard had never been touched or regarded in such a fashion, her body and mind unused to the ways that love manifested itself, Byleth had never felt so much in her entire life. It was like seeing colors for the first time and realizing how beautiful this world could be if you knew how or where to look.

The older woman had kissed and gone even beyond that with other women before, women who had somehow talked her into it, but it was by no means the same as what she was experiencing at the moment. A single brush of the Emperor’s lips was enough to send warmth pooling into the pit of her stomach. When her hands got more daring and she caressed back, shoulders and collarbone, then slowly descended in between Edelgard’s breasts to end at her waist, that heat increased in a comfortable intensity.

She was enticed by the small gasps and moans that left the younger woman’s throats, devouring them with the same eagerness that she felt at discovering every inch of the girl in her lap. They pulled away from each other after that and saw how they were both blushing, breaths ragged in synchrony, eyes more pupil than iris, hands twitching in anticipation of what was to come next.

It was Edelgard who resumed kissing and gently pressed her tongue against the mercenary’s bottom lip. She got a whimper at the touch before those lips parted and she was left free to explore her mouth while tentatively running feathery touches over Byleth’s forearms, slower up her arms, and lightly scratching her shoulders with nothing but her fingertips.

The mercenary shuddered at the different feelings each contact brought, then gasped in delight once palms trailed their ways down her sides, momentarily brushing against her ample breasts before kneading her ribs and going to the small of her back, making their way again to her forearms and restarting the process. Each time she edged closer to her bosom, she would press more firmly and elicit a sharp inhale.

Meanwhile, Byleth took her time making the opposite path, going from the girl’s small waist up to her ribs and finally, with a daring thought, encasing one breast in her hand. That by itself made Edelgard moan louder than before, yet it became even more intense when she gave it the slightest squeeze. She then repeated the same motion with the other breast, realizing the woman had stopped moving and was simply holding on to her, her entire body taut and warm, waiting.

She knew enough to understand things would not cool down from there and the floor wasn’t a comfortable place to keep on going, especially when there was such a nice mattress a few feet away from them. That was why she placed both hands on the Emperor’s back and held her tightly while getting to her feet. The other woman yelped in surprise, a sound that caused Byleth to laugh for the first time in her life, especially when she wrapped her legs around her torso for dear life.

“I’ve got you, Your Majesty.” The mercenary said in a mocking tone, even though she received a deathly stare even when she succeeded at gently placing the smaller woman on the bed.

“You would be – “

“Shh, no talking, now.” Byleth whispered once she was done positioning herself, kneeling in between Edelgard’s legs and leaning over her, their bodies touching as much as it was possible. “You were working when I arrived, even though it is quite late for that. Let me help you relax, then. Let me take care of you.”

Those words were enough to make Edelgard feel a new warmth flooding her senses, as she had never been talked to or touched like that. Unsure about how to proceed as the mercenary’s torso approached her, she tried mumbling. “W-well, you were about to kill me so – “

“That contract is long gone.” Byleth whispered against her ear, smiling to herself when that was received by a full body shiver. She gently bit at the Emperor’s earlobe and was delighted when she felt her muscles clench underneath her. “Is that good?” She rhetorically asked, languidly moving down to plant kisses on the side of her neck.

The gasp that followed told her enough, but she kept prompting for an answer and repeating the motion until the younger woman muttered a breathless “yes”. After that she went back to kissing her lips while her hands explored in their own volition, either delicately scratching or applying some pressure wherever they passed. She was glad Edelgard was too distracted to continue her own ministrations, as those had made her unfocused before.

Now that she could think and plan ahead, she took her time savoring those lips while gradually pressing down on her chest, abdomen and stomach, to then tease the inside of her stocking-covered knees and trail up… up and around surprisingly muscled thighs, drawing circular patterns with her fingertips while Edelgard moaned and arched her back in response to that touch. Every sound was more exquisite than the last and after a while Byleth decided to let go of her lips only so she would be able to hear them more clearly.

She momentarily moved one of her hands to the buttons on the front of that crimson dress and had no time to pull even one open when the younger woman opened her eyes in alarm and captured that hand with her own. Her body was still tense, but Byleth knew it was for another reason altogether.

“Please, I… I think you would rather not see me like that.” The Emperor whispered, caressing her knuckled with a tender touch while glancing away from the woman on top of her.

“Why is that so?” The mercenary gently inquired, returning the gesture and trying to soothe her partner.

“I am… I have too many scars to be considered beautiful. Surely you would edge away in disgust if you were to set eyes on me – the real me.” She mumbled, shame too clear in her voice.

Byleth gave a forlorn smile and unfastened the jacket that partially covered her own arms, threw it to the floor and held her chin, turning it so their eyes would meet again.

“I am a mercenary, Edelgard. Can you see my arms? Does this mean I am not beautiful to you?” Her words were soft, never judging, and she held up her limbs to fully expose her skin to the other woman’s eyes.

“No, of course not. It was not what I meant.” The Emperor was quick to apologize while she took in those half-healed bruises, some red and others white, big and small, that seemed to litter Byleth’s arms.

“There you have it. Can you trust me with this?” She inquired, placing a hand again on the top button of her dress. “We can stop if you don’t feel comfortable, ok?”

The younger woman snickered, shaking her head in disdain. “I have just met you, in a sense, and yet…”

The mercenary got closer to her again, their lips a breath apart. “Have we really just met?”

Edelgard smiled, shook her head and went for a kiss, silently urging her to go on. Byleth complied and took her sweet time undoing those buttons while going back to massaging her thigh with soft fingers, winning some moans of approval. When she was done, she pulled the fabric to where it barely covered the younger woman’s breast and started kissing her way down, which was how she was met with the aforementioned scars.

Like hers, they came in several colors and sizes. Unlike hers, they had different formats and it was hard to discern where one began and the other ended. Sadness stirred in her heart at such a view, yet she was quick to not let that stop her from doing what she wanted. She resumed placing pecks upon her skin, tenderly touching each and every blemish with both lips and tongue. Whenever the Emperor moaned, gasped or constricted her muscles in pleasure, it was counted as a win against the pain she must have endured when those mars were planted on her body.

Byleth was hell-bent on making her feel good in that night. Which is why she kept at that for as long as she could before curiosity got the best of her and her fingers went back to the dress, pulling it all the way down to the younger woman’s legs. Before she could resume their kissing, Byleth put some distance in between them and properly discarded the dress. She was about to go back when small hands tugged at her blouse, almost begging it to also be taken away.

She let Edelgard undress her with scared, tentative fingers and one or more teasing touches to her cleavage. Off came shorts, gloves, stockings and undergarments, thus both were completely naked when they went back to kissing, the Emperor yet again positioned under the mercenary, their scarred torsos touching.

After a few kisses Byleth moved down again, yet this time stopped to peck and lick the other woman’s collarbone while a hand slowly crept up to feel for her breasts. A finger lazily passed through an already hardened nipple, eliciting new, raspier moans than the ones she had been getting before. The mercenary repeated that motion a few times, focused solely on teasing the tips with as soft a touch as she could muster, even if by then she wanted to devour that woman under her.

“Byleth…” She whimpered as the mercenary showered the other breast with the same affection and care.

“You are beautiful, Edelgard.” She whispered before placing her mouth on the neglected nipple and touching it with both lips and tongue for as long as she could, taking pleasure on how the younger woman mewled and arched her back. It got to the point that she put a hand against her mouth in order to muffle her own sounds, but Byleth was quick to take that away. “Don’t hold back, I want to hear you.”

Unable to protest, she answered with another moan once the older woman let go of her breasts and went down again, this time placing both hands on her inner thighs and caressing them with a feathery quality. Byleth went closer and closer to her entrance with each stroke and soon enough she touched that most sensitive area, surprised at how wet and warm the Emperor already was.

She went back to kissing Edelgard’s lips in the same moment her fingers started running up and down her labia in a last attempt to tease. That was enough to draw a surprised, sweet cry from her, which became more intense once the mercenary eventually touched her clit. She kept her motion slow and circular at first, marveling at each muscle contraction and arching of her back.

When she applied a little more pressure, she also used one other finger to prod at her entrance, then gradually set itself in. The Emperor gasped at that new touch, but eased into it, especially when Byleth kept a gentle pace with her thrusts, careful to not be rough since she was very tight, though incredibly warm and wet.

The heat and pleasure that had been gradually building inside Edelgard since they had started kissing only escalated the more she was touched. She had never experienced something like that and gave herself over to the moment, letting her moans run free as the mercenary changed her ministrations, tracing smaller circles around her clit while going deeper and deeper with each thrust. When that sole finger twisted inside of her, it was a mixture of bliss and agony that flooded her senses. As her hips buckled in sync with that motion, she felt white hot desire running through her.

It didn’t take long for her to come, not after those careful, tender touches had guided her so softly to the edge already. Her hips moved faster and faster as the mercenary also increased her pace, the whimpers that escaped her throat going in a crescendo until she was almost raucous, her walls tightening around Byleth’s finger when her back arched and her body became taut, then utterly relaxed in the next second.

She gasped for breath while the older woman whispered sweet nothings into her ear, moving her digits slowly to help her ride out the orgasm before taking them away and caressing her thigh for a last time. Then, Byleth lay down beside her, a smile on her lips as she regarded the previously composed Emperor completely undone, yet so beautiful in that state.

Edelgard turned around to face her and snuggled on her neck while still catching her breath, arms wrapped around the older woman’s waist. There were no words to convene what she had felt or was feeling in that moment in time.

The one thing she was sure of, however, was that she would not be denied having the same experience.

In a swift movement that took Byleth by surprise, the smaller woman flipped them so she was straddling the mercenary, who smiled once she realized what was going on.

“You don’t have to reciprocate.” The older woman said, placing a tender palm on her face.

“I want to, however. If it is okay with you.” She blushed, aware that her lack of experience with sexual matters had been clear to notice.

“It is ok, of course. And relax.” She prompted, noticing her nervousness. “You have been doing so well.”

Her blush deepened and she decided to cover than by dipping her head and kissing Byleth’s collarbone. Although she had always been more silent, the older woman was happy to let herself moan as an encouragement to her partner. Soon she realized that had been a good idea, as every time she expressed her pleasure in such a way she was rewarded with more kisses and licks.

Those delicate hands took no time getting into position under her amble bosom, gently kneading the area before they could gradually climb them and remain a little longer at the tips, teasing them with strokes and flicks of varying intensities. Byleth could barely contain her own gasps when Edelgard kissed first her chest, then the top of one breast, going lower and lower until her lips closed around the erect nipple and teased it, sucking and licking while her hands traveled down to her taut abdomen.

She drew circles over the hardened muscles, sometimes getting closer to Byleth’s mound and in others edging away, back to her ribs. Her waist was also the target of some touching, followed by kisses that were growing bolder by the minute.

It was the first time Byleth had felt so much, even though she had had such experiences before. The younger woman’s caresses were unique, controlled yet pressing when she wanted them to be. She teased, offered and took in her own way, eager to discover new sensitive spots and explore them to the fullest. It was almost as if she were committed to reading the intricacy of her body instead of going for what most people thought of as pleasure points. That by itself was enticing – getting that sort of attention and not simply a means to satisfy a hunger was new to her.

Hence her body was completely tense in delight when Edelgard’s fingers finally reached her entrance, finding it equally wet than her own had been, if not more. After some hesitation, the younger woman resorted to touching the area in a delicate, probing way, first caressing her labia and then edging them apart, feeling the velvety interior and the already hardened clitoris. She took her lips again to Byleth’s breasts and started licking a nipple at the same time she positioned two fingers inside her, which resulted in a shudder and moan that made her smile.

Remembering what had been done to her, she pumped her fingers in and out while trying to keep a steady rhythm, neither too slow and teasing nor too fast and desperate. Her other hand also began circling her clit and soon the older woman was moaning and moving her hips as well, which took her by surprise at first since she didn’t realize she had done the same.

Byleth coaxed her into adding a finger and thrusting deeper, with no need to be scared for her. The Emperor complied and was rewarded with more sweet sounds and a hand fondling the small of her back, offering her some support while taunting a very sensitive spot.

Edelgard started moving faster without the mercenary having to ask her to. Once she was no longer self-conscious it was easier to divine what the other woman wanted and how to respond accordingly. She twisted and turned her fingers inside Byleth, earning some praise for that, then flicked her clit with more pressure than before while moving her mouth to the other breast.

When the mercenary’s breath hitched and her hips moved too violently against the Emperor’s hand before falling limp, she released a held breath and relaxed as well. She slowly took her fingers away, mimicking what had been done to her at the end, and gave Byleth’s neck a last kiss before lying down beside her.

They stared at each other’s eyes and drifted to sleep just like that, enthralled in passion and the love they had shared.

It wasn’t even morning when Byleth woke up and at first needed a moment to make sense of her surroundings. When memories rushed back and she looked at the still sleeping Edelgard in her arms, she wondered what would be the best thing to do now. Surely she could not go back to Dimitri, not ever again. And of course her presence in the Palace would raise questions, too many questions that would probably impact badly upon the Emperor.

But where could she go, then? All she had wanted when she took that mission was to get the gold and then leave Fódlan’s war behind, in a way to crave some peace and quiet for herself.

However, she would be a fool if she didn’t admit that right there, right then she was completely in peace – and had been so since last night. Encountering the younger woman had given her something back already. Some would say she had finally found her soulmate, or her own heart. She would never know for sure, but those moments spent with Edelgard had awakened her feelings and for bad or for worse, she would rather not go back to living in a grey world.

She sighed and turned away, willing to put some distance between them so she could at least figure out her best course of action. She was about to get up when a gentle, scarred hand circled her forearm.

“Please, stay.”

Those simple words, uttered in a tender voice, made her ease herself back into bed and into her Emperor’s embrace.

“Is this what you want? There will be questions and I’m sure you won’t be able to hide me forever in here.” The mercenary inquired, her blue eyes intent upon those vibrant violet ones.

“Yes, Byleth, this is the one thing I will ask of you. You are free to go about your days as you please, but stay with me in here. I have found too much with you – so much that I can only wonder how life would have been like if you had not escaped back then.” Her words were pure, etched by the silent happy tears that coursed down her cheeks.

Byleth smiled, mopping that moisture away from her face only to realize there were tears stinging her eyes as well. “Unfortunately that wasn’t the case, but I’m glad I have met you again, even if it were through unusual circumstances. Yes, I shall stay with you, Edelgard.”

They both beamed widely and kissed, then let their worries about the past and future drift away as they took comfort from one another and let their bodies and souls touch as much as possible.

**Author's Note:**

> OK this was longer than I had wanted/expected to be, but by this point I'm resigned to the fact that my brain has yet to find out what 'short stories' mean.  
> Anyways, I have been trying to up my smut game, as I want to be able to write these in between other fics (and in other fics that aren't purely smutty as well). So there you have it, my try at some form of redemption in regards to my first attempts at this genre.
> 
> I hope you guys have enjoyed it!
> 
> P.S: I've been trying to make better use of my twitter, so feel free to follow at @Lina_Luthor


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